Current Events > Why don't conservatives have a John Oliver type show?

(+) Yeah! (+)

EndOfDiscOne posted...

Conservative humor:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1r9_tgRgRk" data-time="

Bill Maher is a sane liberal. There's a difference.
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LOL people think Maher is conservative? Wow.

I like him and I hate him. He's a bit of a baby over the President, but I like him for other views and he isn't afraid to put on controversial guests.
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Bloodychess posted...

No one said he did. If you or anyone can't tell that I'm paralleling Doom's "Conservative humor is mean-spirited" post with an example of "Liberal Humor" then go ahead and keep posting purely for arguments sake.

Who thinks punching people in the face is funny?

hollow_shrine posted...

It was better than most I've seen. The formula he's working with has potential, and while I'm not laughing I can see how those who agree with him would.

This is fair.

Bloodychess posted...

I'm paralleling Doom's "Conservative humor is mean-spirited" post with an example of "Liberal Humor"

Poorly. I challenge you to provide evidence that anyone who works in comedy for a living has touted "punching people in public" as funny.
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tommybel89 posted...

AIDS joke

Well.

Don't think we haven't seen that.
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Sayoria posted...

EndOfDiscOne posted...

Conservative humor:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1r9_tgRgRk" data-time="

Bill Maher is a sane liberal. There's a difference.

Maher is the first person to say that while hes a liberal there are several areas where he has firmly conservative views.
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CyricZ posted...

tommybel89 posted...

AIDS joke

Well.

Don't think we haven't seen that.

Am I supposed to be afraid of a moderator or something? Or the sensitive boys on this board?
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divot1338 posted...

Sayoria posted...

EndOfDiscOne posted...

Conservative humor:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1r9_tgRgRk" data-time="

Bill Maher is a sane liberal. There's a difference.

Maher is the first person to say that while hes a liberal there are several areas where he has firmly conservative views.

And most of that is in the fact he isn't super duper far left. His views match mine nearly 100% of the time but the only difference is, I actually consider myself a moderate. I don't see his views really as "conservative" or "liberal", I see them usually as "the honest truth" because he's very, very down to earth and blunt about everything.
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They tried.

They sucked.
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tommybel89 posted...

Am I supposed to be afraid of a moderator or something?

Just noting that a lot of AIDS jokes are made at the expense of the afflicted. It's the "punching down" I'd referred to earlier. If that's your cup of tea, then whatever, but it's not the kind of comedy that gets traction. For what it's worth, I enjoyed Tough Crowd, too, but it only ran for a couple of seasons.
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tommybel89 posted...

CyricZ posted...

tommybel89 posted...

AIDS joke

Well.

Don't think we haven't seen that.

Am I supposed to be afraid of a moderator or something?

No. I think he's saying, taste aside, these jokes have been done to the point that they may now be creatively bankrupt. I mean the South Park creators basically made the same HIV/AIDS joke at least two times in their productions, once in Team America World Police, and then again in their play 'The Book of Mormon.' From there it's trickled on down into shows like Family Guy and into total comedic irrelevance. The joke is kind of a dead horse at this point.
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John Mulaneys New in Town has a pretty good AIDs joke in it. Hell the name of the special is part of it.
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They have tried a conservative daily show before. It bombed spectacularly because it wasnt funny

Thats how political humor shows with s conservative slant usually seem to work out. They lack any manner of nuance or subtlety and come down to talking about how much they hate gays or minorities or poor people or whoever
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EffectAndCause posted...

If liberals are just as bad, where is the comedy? Where is the half hour dedicated to a severe problem in this country that liberal legislation is causing?

A conservative version? LMAO it'd get banned in 2 days.

"welcome welcome welcome! Today we're going to talk about, non-white people! They're terrible! (insert stereotypes here). Now we're going to end the show with the song "I wanna be neenja!"

I suppose it's very late to point this out, but referring to a "conservative John Oliver show" really kinda cheapens the format of LWT. Yes, you are guaranteed a Trump jab every episode, but their main topics still do vary, which are the majority of the show and they're not all "liberal" in nature. They covered the concept of rehab this past week and Venezuela the week before.
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Comedy has a liberal bias.
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CyricZ posted...

I suppose it's very late to point this out, but referring to a "conservative John Oliver show" really kinda cheapens the format of LWT. Yes, you are guaranteed a Trump jab every episode, but their main topics still do vary, which are the majority of the show and they're not all "liberal" in nature. They covered the concept of rehab this past week and Venezuela the week before.

I honestly think that Trump has hurt LWT because of the focus that got devoted to him. Pre-Trump, it definitely had a liberal slant but it covered a huge range of often apolitical under-discussed topics. It's finally getting back there but the last two years have been such non-stop Trump stuff that it's just smothering.
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While I don't really think anyone needs a conservative comedy show, liberal shows aren't still around because they're funny, but because they're cathartic.

Stephen Colbert hasn't been funny since 2014, he's just malicious now.
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because "conservative humor" is an oxymoron
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Gheb posted...

it covered a huge range of often apolitical under-discussed topics.

Many of them were politically connected in nature, even in the early days of the show.

The earliest ones were capital punishment, the global warming controversy, net neutrality, and immigration reform.

The show has never not been political. It's only recently that nearly everything political has revolved around Trump.
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Iwin2013 posted...

EffectAndCause posted...

If liberals are just as bad, where is the comedy? Where is the half hour dedicated to a severe problem in this country that liberal legislation is causing?

Cause most of Hollywood is liberal. So they control comedy, and other genres of entertainment. If you come out as a Conservative, you are kind of black listed, other entertainers have said. Tim Allen once said, nothing is more dangerous to a liberal democrat than a funny conservative.

Which is why Tim Allen has a show that went 6 seasons with a 7th coming.

Because the blacklisting you see.
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Iwin2013 posted...

LightningAce11 posted...

Because conservative "humor" doesn't exist.

They are a decidedly unfunny bunch.

That's not true, lol. Conservative comedians are so much better.

To laugh at, rather than with.... there are exceptions but very rare compared to to the vast amounts of comedians whose views usually reflect more liberal than conservative.
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Goldice posted...

Iwin2013 posted...

EffectAndCause posted...

If liberals are just as bad, where is the comedy? Where is the half hour dedicated to a severe problem in this country that liberal legislation is causing?

Cause most of Hollywood is liberal. So they control comedy, and other genres of entertainment. If you come out as a Conservative, you are kind of black listed, other entertainers have said. Tim Allen once said, nothing is more dangerous to a liberal democrat than a funny conservative.

Which is why Tim Allen has a show that went 6 seasons with a 7th coming.

Because the blacklisting you see.

It's always the shitty celebrities that are on the verge of alreardy being obscure that think like that anyways. Anything to distract from the fact that they suck. Stacey Dash was saying that nobody will hire her because she's a black conservative and worked for Fox News, while ignoring the fact that she hadn't worked for years anyways before Fox News hired her cause she was talking shit about black people on Twitter.
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tommybel89 posted...

Doom_Art posted...

Because conservatives aren't funny and conservative "humor" is mean-spirited to the point where it's uncomfortable

Dennis Miller was funny in the 80's according to what I've heard from comedians talking on podcasts, but the guy is now a cranky Fox News pundit who embarrassed himself in the Michelle Wolf situation. I'll agree on that one.

Nick Di Paolo is a righty and is funnier than most of the big name darling left wing comedians. By that category, I'm talking the Aziz's and Schumer's of the world = the comedians that non-comedy fans can name. Radio guy Anthony Cumia is a righty but is one of the funniest and quickest wits in the podcast / internet radio game. Those are exceptions, but the funniest guys tend to be somewhere near the centre, but lean slightly liberally when it comes to social issues.

A guy like Bill Burr is equally comfortable attacking both sides. Dave Chappelle may have blasted Trump, but he also gave a beating to #MeToo. Jim Norton will blast both sides. Hicks and Carlin (RIP both) did the same. The best comics know how to stride the line. They don't join sides.

I was about to mention guys like Burr and Chappelle earlier. I agree that those are the best comedians cause they give you the chance to laugh at yourself and everybody else. Its why South Park has been so successful as well. Of course, they all piss off conservative and liberal snowflakes.
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CyricZ posted...

Gheb posted...

it covered a huge range of often apolitical under-discussed topics.

Many of them were politically connected in nature, even in the early days of the show.

The earliest ones were capital punishment, the global warming controversy, net neutrality, and immigration reform.

The show has never not been political. It's only recently that nearly everything political has revolved around Trump.

Oh I don't disagree that the show has always been political, but it was tackling topics in a way that wasn't just left talking points. For instance the issues above, are rarely party line defining. Yes, your average democrat is more likely to be against capital punishment, believe that global warming exists, and for net neutrality. But if a conservative told you that they were against capital punishment, believed that global warming was happening, and was pro net neutrality, would you really question if they were conservative or not?

I would say of my conservative friends each of them subscribes to at least one or more of those points.

Maybe apolitical was the wrong word but his segments mostly consisted of this is what issue is this is why it is bad/good. This is what we are not doing about it.
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The answer to that is simple: Conservatives aren't funny

Sayoria posted...

EndOfDiscOne posted...

Conservative humor:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1r9_tgRgRk" data-time="

Bill Maher is a sane liberal. There's a difference.

He's not conservative, but it's an example of what decent conservative humor would look like if you take out a couple of his comments.
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EndOfDiscOne posted...

Sayoria posted...

EndOfDiscOne posted...

Conservative humor:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1r9_tgRgRk" data-time="

Bill Maher is a sane liberal. There's a difference.

He's not conservative, but it's an example of what decent conservative humor would look like if you take out a couple of his comments.

A sane liberal? He literally gave a space and got chummy with Milo Yiapaoapopupus

Goldice posted...

Iwin2013 posted...

EffectAndCause posted...

If liberals are just as bad, where is the comedy? Where is the half hour dedicated to a severe problem in this country that liberal legislation is causing?

Cause most of Hollywood is liberal. So they control comedy, and other genres of entertainment. If you come out as a Conservative, you are kind of black listed, other entertainers have said. Tim Allen once said, nothing is more dangerous to a liberal democrat than a funny conservative.

Which is why Tim Allen has a show that went 6 seasons with a 7th coming.

Because the blacklisting you see.

Yeah.. It's not like he had to switch stations or anything... And it's been like two years between the 6th and 7th seasons... But oh well, guess it doesn't happen...
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CyricZ posted...

Well-received comedy is largely about "punching up": making a joke at the expense of someone in a higher place in society, or someone with more power. Political leaders. Celebrities. Big businessmen. Those who would oppress others. These are far fairer game in comedy, and people do love seeing the mighty brought low, even if for a few seconds of comedy.

"Punching down" tends to be far more poorly received since behind the joke is the notion that the person being made the joke has less power. Minorities. Immigrants. The physically disabled. Victims of crime and war. LGBT people.

Liberal policies tend to at least address the idea of helping those with less power. A conservative person mocking those policies or those the policies are meant to help comes off as vastly more mean-spirited and is more poorly received.

So why aren't there many good conservative comedians? Because skillfully mocking liberals (to the point where you're actually funny and largely well-received) is far more difficult. Sure, people on CE do it everyday, and yes it comes off every bit as mean-spirited as "punching down" would suggest, but no one on CE is a professional comedian.

Most conservative comedians I know of tend to be more self-deprecating or pointing out the flaws in their own part of society, rather than going for outside groups. The easiest outside target is the liberal white male (hippie, hipster, soy boy, etc.) who is well off and is attracted to liberal policy, which got some play in comedy historically, but it's essentially the same type of person over the decades and you can only mock a particular type of person for so long before it becomes stale.

Thank you, I was going to make a similiar post but you hit the nail on the head.
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Iwin2013 posted...

Goldice posted...

Iwin2013 posted...

EffectAndCause posted...

If liberals are just as bad, where is the comedy? Where is the half hour dedicated to a severe problem in this country that liberal legislation is causing?

Cause most of Hollywood is liberal. So they control comedy, and other genres of entertainment. If you come out as a Conservative, you are kind of black listed, other entertainers have said. Tim Allen once said, nothing is more dangerous to a liberal democrat than a funny conservative.

Which is why Tim Allen has a show that went 6 seasons with a 7th coming.

Because the blacklisting you see.

Yeah.. It's not like he had to switch stations or anything... And it's been like two years between the 6th and 7th seasons... But oh well, guess it doesn't happen...

No, it's totally not because ABC would have had to shoulder production costs if the show was renewed, it's because liberal Hollywood has it out for poor Tim Allen. It certainly wasn't a decision based on money, just like almost every decision is based on. It's because Tim Allen is a brave, outspoken conservative in an evil, liberal world.
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Also Bill Maher isn't conservative, he's the proponent for "free speech" which was something that was largely a liberal stance back then. Bill Maher would talk shit about Christians who got offended when someone made a joke about them or their religion. His whole schtick is that he' an asshole who is will not be censored for having a dirty mouth by stating his opinions. It's just the current political climate right now where the far left has embraced PC culture that Bill Maher is against, and guess what his audience are still primarily liberals because he stuck to his stance. He's willing to call out people on his side when he disagrees with them, but "free speech" is not primarily a conservative stance as most people think it is.

Also people are right about Bill Burr being fairly moderate, Dave Chapelle was extremely liberal when he started his career. He would make constant jokes about how Bill Clinton was a pimp for having sex with Monica Lewinsky and would constantly bash Bush whenever he could. The only reason he isn't bashing Trump right now because everyone is doing it. As he said it "Trump is bad for comedy.", to him it's like going after the lowest hanging fruit. He's not as extreme on being a liberal, but he is still fairly liberal and I bet most people don't even know he's Muslim which would tick off a lot of conservatives.
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Gheb posted...

CyricZ posted...

Gheb posted...

it covered a huge range of often apolitical under-discussed topics.

Many of them were politically connected in nature, even in the early days of the show.

The earliest ones were capital punishment, the global warming controversy, net neutrality, and immigration reform.

The show has never not been political. It's only recently that nearly everything political has revolved around Trump.

Oh I don't disagree that the show has always been political, but it was tackling topics in a way that wasn't just left talking points. For instance the issues above, are rarely party line defining. Yes, your average democrat is more likely to be against capital punishment, believe that global warming exists, and for net neutrality. But if a conservative told you that they were against capital punishment, believed that global warming was happening, and was pro net neutrality, would you really question if they were conservative or not?

I would say of my conservative friends each of them subscribes to at least one or more of those points.

Maybe apolitical was the wrong word but his segments mostly consisted of this is what issue is this is why it is bad/good. This is what we are not doing about it.

no, you were right.

it used to tackle topics that were very meaningful from a policy standpoint, but much less talked about in political circles. the best example of that, imo, is when it did a topic on workforce and economic development, basically talking about tax breaks. it cited a really new and highly influential study from the WE Upjohn Institute. And I mean from a neutral perspective I guess leftists are more likely to support the reforms it promoted than right wingers, but the whole point of the show was that it was an issue no one talks about in mainstream parlance without a political bias

now half the show is trump jokes
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Doom_Art posted...

Because conservatives aren't funny and conservative "humor" is mean-spirited to the point where it's uncomfortable

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jborgan posted...

Iwin2013 posted...

Goldice posted...

Iwin2013 posted...

EffectAndCause posted...

If liberals are just as bad, where is the comedy? Where is the half hour dedicated to a severe problem in this country that liberal legislation is causing?

Cause most of Hollywood is liberal. So they control comedy, and other genres of entertainment. If you come out as a Conservative, you are kind of black listed, other entertainers have said. Tim Allen once said, nothing is more dangerous to a liberal democrat than a funny conservative.

Which is why Tim Allen has a show that went 6 seasons with a 7th coming.

Because the blacklisting you see.

Yeah.. It's not like he had to switch stations or anything... And it's been like two years between the 6th and 7th seasons... But oh well, guess it doesn't happen...

No, it's totally not because ABC would have had to shoulder production costs if the show was renewed, it's because liberal Hollywood has it out for poor Tim Allen. It certainly wasn't a decision based on money, just like almost every decision is based on. It's because Tim Allen is a brave, outspoken conservative in an evil, liberal world.

Or Im just going by what he said? Or what others have said? They would know more so than you and me.
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Prestoff posted...

Also Bill Maher isn't conservative, he's the proponent for "free speech" which was something that was largely a liberal stance back then. Bill Maher would talk shit about Christians who got offended when someone made a joke about them or their religion. His whole schtick is that he' an asshole who is will not be censored for having a dirty mouth by stating his opinions. It's just the current political climate right now where the far left has embraced PC culture that Bill Maher is against, and guess what his audience are still primarily liberals because he stuck to his stance. He's willing to call out people on his side when he disagrees with them, but "free speech" is not primarily a conservative stance as most people think it is.

Also people are right about Bill Burr being fairly moderate, Dave Chapelle was extremely liberal when he started his career. He would make constant jokes about how Bill Clinton was a pimp for having sex with Monica Lewinsky and would constantly bash Bush whenever he could. The only reason he isn't bashing Trump right now because everyone is doing it. As he said it "Trump is bad for comedy.", to him it's like going after the lowest hanging fruit. He's not as extreme on being a liberal, but he is still fairly liberal and I bet most people don't even know he's Muslim which would tick off a lot of conservatives.

Chappelle made fun of Bush cause he was a really easy target. I always felt Chappelle, at least his show on Comedy Central, played it straight down the middle on social issues really well.
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Iwin2013 posted...

jborgan posted...

Iwin2013 posted...

Goldice posted...

Iwin2013 posted...

EffectAndCause posted...

If liberals are just as bad, where is the comedy? Where is the half hour dedicated to a severe problem in this country that liberal legislation is causing?

Cause most of Hollywood is liberal. So they control comedy, and other genres of entertainment. If you come out as a Conservative, you are kind of black listed, other entertainers have said. Tim Allen once said, nothing is more dangerous to a liberal democrat than a funny conservative.

Which is why Tim Allen has a show that went 6 seasons with a 7th coming.

Because the blacklisting you see.

Yeah.. It's not like he had to switch stations or anything... And it's been like two years between the 6th and 7th seasons... But oh well, guess it doesn't happen...

No, it's totally not because ABC would have had to shoulder production costs if the show was renewed, it's because liberal Hollywood has it out for poor Tim Allen. It certainly wasn't a decision based on money, just like almost every decision is based on. It's because Tim Allen is a brave, outspoken conservative in an evil, liberal world.

Or Im just going by what he said? Or what others have said? They would know more so than you and me.

You believe what you want, but I'm going to take the opinion of a guy who thinks the kooky liberals are out to get him with a huge grain of salt.
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conservative hosts have this problem where they rape someone and their show gets shut down

hard to get a sufficient following when that happens
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Gheb posted...

But if a conservative told you that they were against capital punishment, believed that global warming was happening, and was pro net neutrality, would you really question if they were conservative or not?

I... kinda would. I'd have to hear some of their other stances, though. Everything's relative, I guess.

Gheb posted...

his segments mostly consisted of this is what issue is this is why it is bad/good. This is what we are not doing about it.

This still happens. I would love if they got back to some of that oddball stuff you don't usually hear about. I really would.

The only thing that has changed is that Trump is president, so he is intrinsically tied to a lot of current issues. It's especially important because it seems that every month the President is bringing a new issue to the fore. He and his administration hit us with a lot of things in short order including but not limited to:

*starts playing Spanish Flea*

1) The wall
2) No trans in the military
3) Pulling out of the Paris Agreement
4) Saber rattling with North Korea
5) The attempt at passing the AHCA
6) Net Neutrality again
7) The Russia Investigation
8) The Iran Nuclear Deal
9) The Pardoning of Joe Arpaio

Those are a lot of issues, each with their own complications and nuances, and they are definitely *current*. They all got their own separate topic on LWT. And believe me, I've sat through all of them, and Oliver goes pretty damn deep into them, and fully admits that in many cases not everything is Trump's fault.

So it's not just a half hour of shitting on Trump, apart from the obvious fact that the President treats these issues as if they're far less complicated than they really are, so honestly it'd behoove Oliver to create some kind of means for Trump to learn about them the way those of us who watch the show do.

Like maybe creating some kind of cowboy character who doesn't like pain when he "caths" and airing it on Fox News or something.

Darkman124 posted...

conservative hosts have this problem where they rape someone and their show gets shut down

hard to get a sufficient following when that happens

Savage.
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This topic is interesting because Ive heard so many standup comedians talk about how left wing political correctness is killing comedy over the last year. Maybe we should be happy that there isnt a big market for conservative political humor?
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Probably because it would end up like this

https://www.thestranger.com/seattle/gallagher-is-a-paranoid-right-wing-watermelon-smashing-maniac/Content?oid=4357855

"Hey, President Obama," he spits out the name like a mouthful of burning hair. "You ain't black. I don't care what you sayyou're a latte. You're half whole-milk. It could be goat milkyou could be a terrorist!" I am too busy losing my mind to catch the next joke, which is about Ted Kennedy's brain cancer. Aaaaand we're off.

Gallagher is upset about a lot of things. Young people with their sagging pants (in faintly coded racist terms, he explains that this is why the jails are overcrowdedbecause "their" baggy pants make it too hard for "them" to run from the cops). Tattoos: "That ink goes through to your soulif you read your Bible, your body is a sacred temple, YOU DIPSHIT." People naming their girl-children Sam and Toni instead of acceptable names like Evelyn and Betty: "Just give her some little lesbian tendencies!" Guantnamo Bay: "We weren't even allowed to torture all the way. We had to half-torturethat's nothin' compared to what Saddam and his two sons OOFAY and GOOFAY did." Lesbians: "There's two typesthe ugly ones and the pretty ones." (Um, like all people?) Obama again: "If Obama was really black, he'd act like a black guy and get a white wife." Michael Vick: "Poor Michael Vick." Women's lib: "These women told you they wanna be equalthey DON'T." Trans people: "People like Cher's daughterfigure that out. She wants a penis, but she has a big belly. If you can't see your dick, you don't get one." The Rice Krispies elves: "All three of those guys are gay. Look at 'em!" The Mexicans: "Look aroundsee any Mexicans? Nope. They'll be here later for the cleanup."

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Darkman124 posted...

conservative hosts have this problem where they rape someone and their show gets shut down

hard to get a sufficient following when that happens

...You do realize the majority of rape accusations are against liberals, right?
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SageHarpuia posted...

Darkman124 posted...

conservative hosts have this problem where they rape someone and their show gets shut down

hard to get a sufficient following when that happens

...You do realize the majority of rape accusations are against liberals, right?

Not the stupidest thing that Ive heard someone say on this board, man. But I agree; Most rape accusations are against Liberal men in Hollywood.
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